Module information for incoming Erasmus and Exchange students interested in modules in Culture, Society and Communication.

Erasmus and Exchange Students may choose from the following modules in Culture, Society and Communication:

Level 2

European Media Culture (09 18508)

Credits: 20 Semester: 1 & 2

This module assesses how the media work in different major European countries and the impact of different media systems on mass mediated content. The course is divided into the following ‘blocks’:

MEDIA SYSTEMS, introducing concepts of national and global identities and cultures and discussing the characteristics of different media systems in Europe. This section focuses on questions such as ‘who owns/controls the media in Europe’, how are the media organised and what are the consequences of concentration on some Western European nations (i.e. their cultures, as well as the quality of democratic debate)?

NEWS, CONTROL, OBJECTIVITY, which considers how a specific ‘genre’ (the news) is created, as well as discussing issues of censorship and control

MEDIA MATTERS, which focuses on the extent to which identities are shaped by national media, i.e. the power of the media to influence their consumers.

Taught in English

Assessment: 3000 word essay (60%) semester 2; 2 hour exam (40%) to be written in English

European Cultural Theory (09 23953)

Credits: 20 Semester: 1 & 2

Are you interested in whether the work of Karl Marx is relevant to the internet? Do you believe politicians when they claim that there is no such thing as ideology? Are you convinced that feminism is dead? Do you want to understand how Europe's colonial past still has an impact on today's world, culturally, politically and economically? In this module you will investigate some of the ways cultural theorists have approached culture. You'll look at issues of class, language, gender, ethnicity, sexuality and ideas of the nation, and will develop a set of intellectual tools to help you interpret cultural products (such as films and books) and cultural institutions. You'll have a chance to test out theoretical ideas using practical case studies and to decide for yourself whether you're convinced by theories of postmodernism, post-colonialism and post-structuralism.

Taught in English

Assessment: 2000 word essay (50%); 2000 word essay (50%) to be written in English